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 You see, enlightenment is already within us, therefore whatever our fellow initiate credited to me, I should not accept because it's all yours. Whatever greatness, whatever blessing you receive during the course of development in your spiritual training or rediscovery, it is all yours. But because humility is the nature of a highly developed spiritual brotherhood, they always credited all the miraculous power, all the blessings to the master, whoever that master may be that happened to be experienced in the path and show them to rediscover it themselves. If you were not already enlightened, if your nature were not Buddha, I would never be able to make you a Buddha. If God is not already within yourselves, I would never be able to show you God inside you. I cannot make a stone into a diamond however long I polish it, you understand!
So with all my humbleness, I just would like to tell you that you are very great. You are the Supreme Masters, and we are all one. There is nothing I should teach you except to point to you your precious jewel that you have placed in your pocket and you have forgotten. Because you are too busy looking elsewhere for it. Many a time you do that. You put things in your pocket, your eye glasses or money or whatever important things, and you forgot. It's so near to you. (Master laughs.) You keep looking and search the whole house, every corner; you never find it; and so you thought seeking for your own treasure is so difficult. Actually it is not true. Because we just don't know where to look for it, and that is all. And some friends stand around and just say, " Hey, it's in your pocket." That is the job of the Master, so-called Master. Therefore the Masters since ancient time, if they are called by the name, by the title "Master," by the disciples, actually they are just like one of us. They should be very humble and they have all the human qualities that we have and they do not know that they are the Masters. But because of the experiences of the disciples, people credited that is a Master. Just like we say, " By your fruit shall you be known." So anyhow, "Master" or "not Master," it is not important. The important thing is that experienced friend which we call Master can show us where our greatness is. Then we make use of it.
There is so much vast difference between an enlightened person and a non-enlightened person, even though both of them are exactly the same in quality, have exactly the same wisdom, and possess the same greatness. I just could not tell you how different. I just know it is different; and many of our disciples know that after initiation. Right? (Audience: "Yes.") Some of you would know. And then after that, you talk to other people who are not yet initiated, have not yet rediscovered their, the partial quality of their wisdom, they will see a vast difference between them. Even though in the outlook, there's no distinction. Enlightenment can be lightened onto someone who already step inside the house; doesn't matter how near he is to the door, and how far he has already advanced into the depth of the house in order to discover how much treasure there is inside. Once he steps inside the house, he is out of the cold, out of the danger of the wolves, the tigers and all other natural disasters should they come by.
There is a very big difference. Once we are in the house, we know what is inside. If we are near the door, we know at least the inner interior design. And if we step further into different rooms of our house, we will discover the treasures, and all the furniture, all the precious things that are within the house. And we may go back outside and tell the people what's inside, And the people outside of the house may listen to the story and may repeat it again to someone else that something's there, such and such are in the house. But there is a difference between repeating and seeing and enjoying; and also, deriving the benefit from the safety of being inside the house.
Some people ask me, "It's okay! I don't need enlightenment, what for?" "Is that okay not to be enlightened?" I said," Yes, yes, okay." (Master laughs.) There is no choice anyhow. But when we are outside the house, sometimes it is safe, sometimes it is sunny, but sometimes it is raining, sometimes it is typhoon, a lot of things happen. And once we know we have a house, we can even step out sometimes. But whenever we want or it is necessary, we step inside. There are such things, wonderful things inside the chamber of our soul that no worldly treasures could equal, And nothing of this world can bring such happiness to us as when we discover our true greatness.
The more we discover how great we are, the more humble we become. (Master laughs.) And that is a very paradoxical thing, but it is like that. Because we will become like a child, we will become like a very innocent person. The great sage is like a very innocent person. And it seems like you can tell him anything you want about your talent, about your ambition, about your intelligence, about your degrees, and he will never object you. It's not that he will always try to force his wisdom upon you. It only comes naturally by circumstances or by request. And after speaking, most probably the so-called Master will forget everything that has been spoken completely; maybe just remember one or two sentences or maybe none because the wisdom comes from the universal storehouse is the common use of all beings. It doesn't belong to one person or a group of any persons. It belongs to the ignorant as well as the enlightened. It belongs to the child as well as to an aged senior citizen. Everyone has a share of this wisdom only if we truly want to know it.
By knowing this wisdom, we do not forsake the world. We will not lack of the enjoyment of the world. But actually we enjoy the world more when the opportunity is there, and even when the opportunity is not there, we will be happy all the same. And that's the difference. That is the only difference because if we do not know our enlightened nature, we always crave for some things that will bring us happiness, or we think that will bring us happiness. Therefore we become sometimes ambitious, seeking fame and name, seeking properties, seeking beauty, seeking ephemeral love, etc., thinking these will bring us happiness, until we realize that these only breed sorrow most of the time.
Only when we are truly enlightened, then we can enjoy anything. Whatever comes, we enjoy. The good things come, then we take it as a gift from God and we enjoy whole-heartedly without any guilt, without any reservation, without any obstacles whatsoever in our heart or in our thinking. Because the nature of the enlightened person is very free, very carefree, very easy, just like a child. If you give him something good, he accepts it. He will not think that you want to trick him, or whether he deserves it or not. He just accepts. And when the circumstance does not allow that we have comfort or richness in life then we are also happy carry on that way. We have no desire for material greatness, but that doesn't mean that we do not strive to work for the society, and that we do not try our best to fulfill our obligations as a citizen of the world. We do, we do all the same. We do more effectively and with all willingness to contribute our part to the whole world. The difference is that we do without desire for reward, without desire for praise. And should we fail, or should even people misunderstand us of our goodwill, we still can bear it. We will not have any suffering in our heart. Many of my disciples have told me, I mean our fellow practitioners, that after enlightenment they are much different than before. They know, they know more than before. They understand many things that they never understood before. And they are so different from what they were before. Because I have forgotten what it's like to be before or to be after enlightenment, so sometimes it's difficult for me to know what they were talking about. (Master laughs.) But then sometimes I happen to meet and talk, or stay and integrate with some of the non-initiate people, then I realize what they were talking about; then I know what's the difference between an enlightened person and a not enlightened person. That is no discrimination, no, no. It's just a statement of what it is of the reality . Therfore it's not a proud statement, it's just a realization of the difference between a person who steps inside the house and the person outside.
If I have not the opportunity to truly have a very deep understanding with the non-initiated people sometimes, I would have forgotten, because most often I see people as myself, I forgot whether I am enlightened or they are not enlightened. I have never remembered these things when I meet people. And that's why sometimes apart from feeling some kind of discouraged during my mission, I also felt in my heart that there is no need to teach anyone. There's no need to run around the world, no need to answer the invitation of my disciples worldwide and tire myself out on the airplane, smoking airplane, and crowded airport and all that, and hectic schedule. Because I thought there's no need to do it, because I don't see any necessity. But then just when I think like that, sometimes the almighty power would remind me that it is necessary. Because there is a big difference between knowing you have a treasure and making use of it and just knowing you have a treasure but do not know where and how to use it. There is a big difference. Therefore, if I continue to travel around the world according to the sincere request of the disciples, it is because of these instances that I know some people do not know that they are great, and they long to know.
Not because we want to be proud of our greatness, but it is a duty to know our heritage. We cannot just be born into this world, live a few decades of hectic schooling, working, sweating, earning money, struggling with children and family problems, and then "kaput," finished, (laughter) and nothing more to that, nothing more to life, nothing more to the great meaning of human life. And worse still, at the time of leaving this world, we suffer. We suffer because of the attachment with our family members, we suffer because we do not know where we are going, we suffer because of the fear of the unknown. And the whole family members or the beloved ones just standing around helpless, seeing us suffering.
Therefore the great way of a gentleman is enlightenment. We must know where we come from and where we are going, very clearly, very decisively, because we are great human beings. We live a life of a hero. We walk the life of God on earth. We should not live like slaves to our money, to our possessions, to our whatever desires that the world has labored, found a way to stick it onto our mind. We were not born with desires, we were not born with hatred, we were not born with race discrimination. We were born from innocence and beauty so we should remain like that. And we should even be wiser, apart from being innocent. That's the way of a gentleman, that's the way of the great beings.
If we worship Jesus, if we adore Buddha, if we long to worship, to bow to the sages of the Himalayas of the ancient time, then we should know that we could be one of them. There is no difference between a sage and ourselves. Only one hair apart, very thin. (Master laughs.) And when we traverse that, we are there in the circle of sainthood. And if we stay behind, just one hair apart, we are ignorant beings bowing down to all pressures of the world, fearing all kind of things, persons and beings, knowing not what we are before and after our life. Even we have eyes, but we are just like the blind. We have ears but we are just like being deaf. Because heavenly teachings we do not hear. Heavenly kingdom we do not see; our greatness we cannot perceive. It is a pity if we continue our life like that.
We want so much to help the world. We want so much to bring peace into our earth, to make it into heaven, but how do we do it if we don't have wisdom? How do we do it if we are not above average? How can our head keep from being wet if we are not above water? So enlightenment is the tool for everything in this life and the life after. We'll travel far and wide into the galaxies of the universe, we'll know things by which even the most brilliant scientists in this world are dumbfounded. That is the ability of a human being. A true human being is not flesh and bones only. It's not the outer appearances of beauty and charm, but it is the great storage of wisdom, of almighty power that could move mountains, and do all kinds of marvel. Whatever Jesus had done is child's play. Whatever Buddha had cared to demonstrate while he was on earth is just a joke, because what he can, what Jesus can, what Buddha can, is above all that even. It's billion, trillion times greater than that; and we can. That's what I discovered and that's what I would like to remind you. As soon as we pray, we draw our attention inside, and don't care much for the material comforts and possessions - it doesn't mean we leave them. We stay in the same house, eat the food that we can afford, wear the clothes that we think fit for the occasions, but our attention is not there anymore; that's the important thing. Not the things in themselves are the obstacles to our sainthood, it is our attention that's the obstacle. Therefore, the attention we should withdraw inwards and then we know everything that Jesus knows, that Buddha knows, and all the sages of old and future will know. Because our nature is like that.
Just like you put the diamond in your pocket and if you look all over, even if you look all over the world, you'll never find it. Not only your house. You search the whole world, you will never find the diamond. You don't know where it is. (Master laughs.) Meanwhile, all the while it's in your pocket. The world should not be in the state that it is right now if all of us are enlightened, or at least half of us are enlightened, and better still, the majority of us are enlightened. And then no need to talk about peace, peace will come. No need to want anything because we have wisdom. "Wisdom is the Lord. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." The Lord is within ourselves, that is our almighty power which stays there dormant, and anytime we can awaken it and make use of it, at least to our own contentment.
The enlightened persons never know uncontentment, never know want, never know unhappiness; at least not for long, just probably in the beginning of the practice when we are not yet stable in our habits, and the mind still has the upper hand. So sometimes we might think we want this and that, but then immediately we realize our mistake. Not like before enlightenment, we don't even realize that we have desire, let alone stopping it. Therefore the difference is very obvious.
All these I tell you from my experiences. It doesn't mean after enlightenment you sit pretty, cross legged somewhere in the sofa and all things become heaven. No. We still have to undergo a little bit of give and take of the karma, the law of cause and retribution, while we are on earth. But we have great power behind backing us up, that doesn't matter what kind of rain or typhoon, we are very stable, safe, secure, contented. Because we know nothing can happen to life eternal. Something may happen to our body but not the real self. If we want another body, we create one. And that is a very, very definite feeling of the enlightened person. The enlightened person does many things, but never feels he is doing anything. Even physically, gives away many things but he never feels that he is a giver, endures many things but he never feels that he has patience. He might show his temperament now and again, but he never feels guilty because it is fit for the occasion. Therefore the way of the enlightened person is free, is happy, and is wise. That is the life that all of us should remember because that is our self.
It's not the life that we think we are now, full of worry about every little thing, about electric bill and about telephone check, and every little thing makes us trouble. After enlightenment we still have all these bills coming, (Master and all laugh) no doubt. God will not take them away because it's yours. (Master laughs.) But the attitude and the means to overcome these are entirely different. We'll find life more relaxed, more easy to meet with all demands from all sides. If we truly, truly, truly sincerely seek for our wisdom, that's what I can promise because I have learned to know this myself. It's not from books. It is not from any teacher. It is from my own experience.
Therefore, whatever I share with you is absolutely true, private, and no cost, because it's from me. I don't borrow it from the bank, no need for interest. (Master and all laugh.) And then you will come to realize all these and more for yourselves according to the capacity of your demand, and of your work, and of the way the universal brotherhood sees fit to give you because of your mission in life, your position in this world. You see sometimes when the masters reach mastership, they are equal. Even that, but you see slight differences between masters and masters. You can see that through their discourses or through the progress of their disciples or through the way he expresses his understanding about the inner realization. Therefore there is a slight difference between masters even. Why? Not because they are different in the quality, it's just because of the different back-ground or positions. Such a master could make use of so much, so he has that much or he draws that much from within himself to give out. And the other masters in different circumstances, in different generations, different nations, will need more or less of different kinds of quality, of speech, of explanation. Therefore we have many of the so-called religious doctrines. And many different names or different religions which point to the same truth.
After enlightenment we will know that very definitely. We will know the underlying principle of all religions is the same. We will know what they taught when they were alive, the founders of these religions. We will know Buddha and Jesus taught just Quan Yin Method. We will know what Lao-tzu talked in the Tao Te Ching is about Quan Yin Method, about the light and the sound of heaven which lift us up above mundane ideals, above all the pettiness of our computer mind in order that we meet with the higher level of consciousness, and then we know ourselves. Then we know God. I am just so happy today, I don't know what I'm saying is suitable for you or not. I just blab, blab on. (Master laughs and audience applauds) I think I just stop by now and then you might ask me questions and I have the opportunity to explain further. Is that Okay? Yeah? Thank you so much. (Applause)
Q:Jesus is no longer on this planet earth. Does he have power to reach to those who believe in Him now? Can we have two masters at the same time? A master who left this earth and a master who is still on this planet earth and will leave this earth?
M: Yeah. We can. We can. Fortunate are those who meet the masters who are still living but who also are the inner master at the same time. But also while you meet the living master, you can also meet the ascended master if you reach up to the level where Jesus resides at this moment, you can see Him. Many of our disciples saw Jesus and many of our disciples saw Buddhas. Isn't that so? Are there any disciples here...? Is that not true? Yeah? (Fellow initiates say : Yes!) Oh, they say "Yes". Anyhow, sometimes the Buddhists will see Jesus or Mother Mary and sometimes Christians will see Buddhas or Mohammed.
Q: How can I go down suppressing my ambitions which have been burdening and obsessing and bothering me so much?
M:It is because we are not enlightened and the nature of our ambition is the urge for enlightenment, actually. It's nothing else; nothing of a very base nature. It is because we know in our subconscious that we are something greater than that, we used to be the boss, we used to be the 'President of the universe.' Therefore it is difficult to remain lowly while we are on earth. That's why we have greed, we have ambition. So after enlightenment, you will know how to handle your ambition for the good use of your life as well as the world. Nothing bad about ambition. Just the way we handle it. If we handle it wisely with wisdom, it will be very good use.
Q:What is happiness and how long can it last?
M:(Master laughs). All of you know that the worldly happiness is ephemeral. It lasts how long is according to person and circumstances. But the true happiness which derives from our true nature is everlasting. That's what we would like to introduce to you which is already within you.
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Enlightenment Is The Tool For Everything